Hotspots Are Hot

ABI Research predicts that in 2006 the number of commercial Wi-Fi hotspots will grow by 47% worldwide to 143,700. While almost three-quarters of these sites (74%) are still found in North America and Europe, the Asia Pacific region is growing very rapidly. Europe is still the market leader with over 57 thousand hotspots. One major driver of Wi-Fi hot spots is retail establishments. A prominent example is McDonalds, which has moved to add hotspots to 17% of its 4,000 locations. More than 675,000 access points will be shipped this year specifically for use in hotspots.